Acts of Rebellion
by Twipotterfreak28
Summary: "The mudblood-loving king! Oh, but where is your filthy queen?" Draco blinked away tears and looked to the ceiling where Hermione and their son lay hidden. "Where you will never find her." Draco looked into the eyes of his soon-to-be murderer and spat blood at her. "So do your worst." He saw Bellatrix's head fall to the floor a moment later where his would- and should- have been.
1. Chapter 1

**_GREETINGS FROM FLORIDA!_**

_Now that that's out of the way (I live in Louisiana so me being a few states over is a big f*cking deal):_

_Hey guys! So, this one is actually prewritten (most of it, anyway, and it's spring break so I've got loads of time to finish) and I've been writing it for MONTHS. Reviews are greatly appreciated._

_**Disclaimer**: any characters you recognize are not mine. All OCs are mine. Harry Potter is not mine, this plot line is mine. This is the only disclaimer you'll get, along with one of the only author's notes. Review and tell me what you think._

**(Third Person POV)**

* * *

"No, Father! I will not marry some Gryffinndor mudblood!"

King Lucius narrowed his eyes. "Remember to whom you are speaking, son. You will do as I say."

"I will not! You cannot force me to marry someone unworthy of my blood! It is madness!" Prince Draco stomped his feet on the floor like a spoiled child as he huffed and fumed.

"Madness?" His mother, Queen Narcissa, laughed bitterly. "What we have offered you is an _avoidance_ of madness, Draco. If you do not marry her, we will fall into war with every kingdom and there will be no throne for you to ascend."

"There has got to be another way around this!" Prince Draco pleaded. "What... what of the eldest Granger girl? She is of pureblood, is she not?"

"Amelia?" King Lucius replied. "She has already been betrothed to the Hufflepuff prince. If you had not waited for marriage like we advised you, you could have had her months ago. Now, you will have to settle."

"I do not want to _settle_." Draco gritted out through his teeth. "Why Gryffinndor? Why not Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, or even Beauxbatons?"

"They have all refused you." Narcissa answered. "Gryffinndor is the only kingdom who will even consider an alliance with us, provided you marry the maiden princess and our people agree to end all hostility. You must do this for you kingdom, Draco, or the deaths of every witch and wizard in this kingdom will be on your hands."

"BUT MOTHER-"

"Do not test me, Draco. You may be my son, but I am still your queen and will be treated as such."

Draco yelled a deafening, frustrated sound and stomped out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him, not wanting to face his parents when he knew he had lost the fight.

He was better than a mudblood, though! His family had been full of witches and wizards for centuries- hell, for millenniums- and he did not want to taint that bloodline by binding himself to a woman who had just lucked out and woken up with magic one day! She probably could not even cast a simple levitation spell!

No matter who she was, she was not worthy enough to marry Draco Malfoy!

Draco stomped into his room and threw himself into his bed, groaning into his pillow at the prospect of his impending marriage. His parents would have already made arrangements before telling him about the mudblood, so it was a done deal. To save his kingdom from being obliterated by war, he would have to do something he promised himself he would never even consider.

He would have to marry the mudblood.

_Super_.

* * *

_**Meanwhile, in the Kingdom of Gryffindor...**_

"You are telling a joke, correct?" Hermione laughed.

Her parents, King Wendell and Queen Monica, only looked saddened by their daughter's disregard for their words. "No... we are deadly serious." Her father replied gravely.

"Oh, come on." Hermione laughed, the smile on her face fading when her parents did not laugh with her. "You... you are serious? _Really_?"

"Yes."

Hermione's eyes widened. "_WHAT?!_" She screamed. "YOU WANT ME TO MARRY THE _SLYTHERIN_ PRINCE?!" Hermione was a moment away from throwing up.

"Daughter, please." King Wendell stood to hug her. "Do not make this-"

"Oh, Merlin-" She began to hyperventilate. "I can not- He- oh Merlin, oh my-"

"Hermione, calm down. Deep breaths." Princess Amelia, Hermione's older sister, wrapped her arms around her sister and shushed her. "Deep breaths."

When Hermione had finished hyperventilating and was sitting at a table, her parents and siblings sat across from her. She was incredibly thrown by their request; she was only a girl of seventeen summers, having only just become a woman. Sure, several suitors- most of a high, noble ranking- had already requested to court her, but her father had turned them all away, saying she was not yet ready to become a wife nor a mother. Now, just a month after her last potential suitor had been turned away because she was unprepared, she was suddenly ready?

Ready to marry a man, around whom many vicious rumors circulated, no less?

"Hermione... we love you dearly," King Wendell put his hand over his youngest's and said gently. "And it matters not that you are not of my flesh, nor of your mother's. I have always said you may marry for love if you so chose, but... the situation is different, now. I hate myself for it, but you must do this to end the madness that surrounds Slytherin."

The Granger family was a close-knit bunch, to say the least. They relied heavily on each other for strength through the trying times and made sure to spend time with each other, lest they never have the chance to again.

Hermione Granger was not a member of the royal family by birth. In truth, she was a muggleborn- the birth daughter of two poor muggleborn merchants who had long ago fled the land for the muggle world they once knew, unable to take care of their newborn daughter when their seven other children were starving.

The story of her 'adoption' was a rather sad one. In the year of Hermione's birth, Queen Monica had lost her third child to disease, her two oldest children, Amelia and Thomas, only just surviving. He had been of three summers, a young boy named Jonathan. Heartbroken by his death, she took to walking about her kingdom during the days to visit some of the poorer families. On the third month of her walks, she encountered a family of muggleborns who were desperate to leave the kingdom.

* * *

_Queen Monica smiled and waved at a few of the peasant girls who were out doing their chores as she walked along the main road. She came across the house of a muggle-born family whom she had not seen nor heard of in a month. Their house had fallen into a state of decay that not even magic could fix, the grass leading to the house was dead and burnt, and the woman of the house was running around, shoving several things into several bags._

_"Excuse me, miss?" Queen Monica said, the woman in a tattered dress before her whipping around and looking frightened. "Might I be of assistance? Are you in need of aid?" The Queen had not been to this part of the kingdom in some time; if she had known their living conditions were this bad, she would have helped them long ago._

_"I-I am well, my queen," The woman replied. "I-I would not like t-to trouble you."_

_"Oh, you are no trouble." The Queen smiled. Just then, four children- looking to be various ages between thirteen summers and seven summers- came filing out of the house with an old, stained bag in each hand._

_"Come, children," A man, looking to be in the same state as the woman, came out of the house and hurried their children toward the road. He seemed not to have noticed the queen at all._

_"Let me help you." The Queen begged, but the woman just seemed to panic further. "My husband and I will not let you nor your family starve, miss. I can give you whatever you need for your family-"_

_"W-we can not stay, my queen," The woman replied. "But thank you so very much for your offer. I regret that I cannot take it."_

_She slung her bag onto her back and made to leave, but a baby's shrill cry made her stop. She darted back into the house and came out with a newborn baby in her arms, a look about her face as if she had just had an idea._

_"My queen," The woman said timidly, walking forward and bowing at Monica's feet. "Please... take her."_

_"What?" Queen Monica asked, shocked._

_"Please... my husband and I cannot care for her," She cried. "If we take her with us, she will die. Please, my queen... please, take her. If you want to help my family, take her so that she may live a happy life."_

_"Are you certain?" Queen Monica said, taking the baby into her arms. "You would part with your child so easily?"_

_"If it would save her," She replied, giving the child one last look. "I would part with my life." The Queen looked down at the now-sleeping child in her arms and stroked her cheek._

_"What is her name?" Queen Monica asked after she had looked up, but the woman had already taken off running toward the road and had turned a corner, she and her family nowhere to be seen._

_Queen Monica began to panic as she walked back to the guards whom had followed her out, as they always did. She walked back to the castle quickly and without a word, passing by every person who attempted to speak to her._

* * *

"I know, father." Hermione whimpered. "But I cannot marry a man who may hurt me!"

"Then fight back, of course." Prince Thomas, Hermione's brother, said simply, as he were talking to a mere child.

"Thomas!" Queen Monica gasped at her son's words. "That is forbidden-"

"If he is anything like you say he is, you will be able to do as you please." Thomas said. "He would not dare hurt his pride by admitting that his wife struck him. You are a skilled fighter and witch; as far as I have heard, Slytherin does not train its royalty in combat. If it comes to that, you will fight and you will win."

"It should not have to come to that, brother!" Hermione yelled.

"We have bargained for your protection." Queen Monica said gently. "He will not touch you in any way in which you do not invite him to. At some distant point in the future, you will have to have children with him, but you will have grown accustomed by then. I am sure you are making him out to be much worse than he actually is."

"But mother!" Hermione seethed. "He is- I am- I cannot believe you would _trade me off _as a political bargain!"

"Remember your place, Hermione." King Wendell warned her. "We have taken every necessary measure to ensure your safety and you will be treated well in Slytherin. I have always given you the freedom to do whatever you pleased whilst you grew, but it is time to be an adult, daughter. It is time for you to grow up and take your place as this man's wife. This is your duty, this is your job, and this is what will happen."

Hermione huffed and sprung up from the table, stomping her way out of the hall. Amelia immediately rose and followed her, telling their father to sit down and that he had already done enough. Amelia found Hermione in the courtyard, sobbing into the petunias.

"Sister," Amelia said gently, sitting beside her. "It is not as bad as you believe."

"Yes, it is." Hermione cried.

"Look at me," Amelia turned Hermione's chin and looked into her puffy, tear-ridden eyes. "You will be fine. We will all be fine. You are not the first woman to be drafted into an unwanted marriage." Amelia sighed and took off the ring that had been on her left ring finger, and held it up in front of her sister's face. "I did not want this ten months ago. I did not know Cedric, he did not know me, and I would have _gladly_ cut off my left arm to not have to marry him. I heard many, many vile things about him and I hadn't even met him."

"That's not the same." Hermione shook off Amelia's hand. "Cedric is actually a good person-"

"It is the same, because I thought he was just as bad as you think the Malfoy prince is. People said he was a womanizing, mischievous, all-knowing, emotional mess and I believed them... until I got off of my bloody high horse and met him firsthand. None of those things were true, Cedric is a good, caring man and I could not be happier that I will become his wife in two months. Do you not see, sister? In almost every case, the rumors are just that- lies. You have no idea what this man is like, so there is no use worrying over what may be nothing." Amelia stood up and offered Hermione her hands. "So stand up, wipe your face and march back into that room with your head held high."

"But I can't." Hermione whispered. "I am still a child, sister. I cannot be somebody's wife."

"Yes, you can and you will be. You are the strongest maiden I have ever had the privilege to meet, sister. I have never known you to be a coward, so do not start now."

"But why must this happen now?" Hermione whimpered. "I am just barely of marrying age. I know that tensions have grown between Slytherin and the rest of Hogwarts, but why is this marriage so important?"

"Father has not told you, but I will have to, now." Amelia sat down with her sister and sighed. "You see, sister, the world is not as plain and simple as you may think it to be. When Hogwarts was established and divided into four separate kingdoms, there was peace; there was kindness and no animosity between any of us. Then, when Beauxbatons and Durmstrang requested a peace treaty with Hogwarts, Slytherin declined heartily. It came to light that Salazar Slytherin, whom had founded the kingdom, hated muggleborns and merely tolerated halfbloods. Gryffinndor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff did not like this. Due to the conditions under which Hogwarts was founded, Slytherin could not be forced out of the country."

"Why not?"

"Hogwarts is a permanent, 'civil' union of all four kingdoms and that cannot be broken. Ever since this happened, Slytherin has distanced itself from all of our affairs. Beauxbatons and Durmstrang have individual treaties with all of us, but not them. Now, on the topic of war: the people of Slytherin have since grown hostile towards every other kingdom. From killing animals to destroying property, they commit acts of violence, sometimes treason, against others in an attempt to make themselves seem more superior. Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff have agreed to enact a joint strike against Slytherin if this continues, but our father does not want war crossing into his borders, so he has agreed to attempt to dissolve the situation. That is where you come into the picture.

The Slytherin King will not sign a peace treaty under any condition, save for the marriage of you to his son. His son is due to ascend the throne in the next ten years, as the King is getting older, and he wants him to have a wife and family by that time. I would have been chosen for it, but I was promised to Cedric beforehand. If you marry him, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw will not strike against Slytherin, Durmstrang and Beauxbatons will not join them, Gryffinndor will not be caught in the crossfire and Slytherin will not have to suffer a terrible loss. Much as I do not like them, I do not think they deserve to be massacred for a few misguided people that reside within their walls." Amelia touched Hermione's face and wiped her tears. "You will bring peace to a long feud, sister. Do this for your future children, my future children and the child that Thomas and Cho will soon have so that they may grow up in a world without hostility. If you will not do it for Slytherin, do it for them."

Hermione nodded and wiped at her face. "You really think it will be alright?"

"I do." Amelia nodded firmly, then slung an arm around his sister, smiling. "And if it is not, I will storm Slytherin Castle and get a few shots in at the prince." Amelia winked and both girls laughed, momentarily forgetting their situation. It was like they were children again, carefree without any trouble whatsoever.

What Hermione would have given at that moment to be that child again.

"But really, Hermione... trust me." They began to walk back into Gryffinndor Castle, holding each other's hand. "Everything will be alright once it is all said and done."

"Thank you, Amelia." Hermione hugged her sister tightly. "For everything. For being my sister when you did not have to be."

"Oh, shut it." Amelia teased. "It has been a privilege. Now, I believe you have something to tell father, do you not?"

The doors to the great hall opened and King Wendell bolted out of his chair, relieved to see both of his daughters walking back into the room, seemingly calm. "Hermione, listen, I-"

Hermione silenced her father as she made to hug him. "I'll do it." She whispered, holding on to him tightly. "I understand why, and... okay."

King Wendell wrapped his arms around his daughter and sighed. "Thank you, sweetheart. You have no idea of the impact that this will bring."

Hermione nodded as her father kissed her forehead, reveling in the moments that she had. She was still the Gryffindor princess, for a while, at least.

She hadn't come to terms with the 'marriage' prospect, nor was she in any way comfortable with it, but she could rationalize it. She knew, after what Amelia had said, that it was the best for her kingdom, her country and her family.

Of course, fairy tales aren't as easy as they appear on paper. Hermione Granger's fairy tale was no exception.

* * *

**A/N:** Your thoughts? **_-Nikki a.k.a.- Twipotterfreak28_**


	2. Chapter 2

**~PLEASE READ~**

_What you need to know:_

-**Lily Potter, Harry's mom, is still alive**. She lives in Gryffindor with Harry. Only Harry's father is dead.

**-The Boy Who Lived thing does not apply here.** Voldemort and Harry had no prior contact. He got his scar in a different situation. Voldemort never died in the first place and does not have any horcruxes.  
-**Remus Lupin and Sirius Black are Harry's godfathers**, but they are **NOT** together. As in, not a couple. Remus is with Tonks and Sirius is single.  
-**Lucius Malfoy and Narcissa Malfoy are NOT death eaters. **They do not have anything to do with that and are slightly good in this story. They dabble in the dark arts, but are not with the Dark Lord.  
-**Azkaban is not a prison.** It is a large chunk of land away from Hogwarts that is thought to be uninhabited. You must cross through the forbidden forest to get there, and everyone that ever went has never come back.

**Here's the way a royal marriage works: **a Prince or King travels to his bride's kingdom (or stays put if they're from the same place) and he stays with her family for a month. During this month, he courts her and they get to know each other while being supervised, and at the end of the month, their engagement is announced and she recieves a ring. Then, he goes back to his own kingdom and his bride and her family travel to his kingdom two months later, they have the wedding, and her family returns without her. During the three months they will attend all royal functions together but they will not live together. Betrothals last exactly three months, but I'm squishing that down to two or three chapters. In Amelia's case, her betrothal is lasting one year, because Hufflepuff has different rules than the other three kingdoms. She's the exception.

* * *

**_In the kingdom of Gryffindor..._**

Hermione Granger was not an anxious young woman. She rarely ever became nervous about something, nor did she have fits over trivial things, as other young women she knew often did.

But today, she would not have called herself anything other than anxious.

"_Mother_!" Hermione squirmed in her seat as Queen Monica flitted around her and fixed a few loose ends on her hair. "Please, stop! My hair looks fine!"

"Mother, really, she looks beautiful as always." Princess Amelia came into the room and helped her sister out of the chair, and gave their mother a look. "Father needs you to be in the Great Hall, Mother. The Malfoys are due to arrive any time now and he is doing business in the war room."

"Oh... yes. Alright." Queen Monica looked apprehensive as she went to the door and asked one more time if Hermione was alright.

"Of course, Mother. Everything will be fine." Hermione smiled for the Queen as she left the room, but once the door closed, she turned to her sister and latched onto her arms for dear life. "I-I take it back! I cannot do this!"

"How did I know you would do this?" Amelia chuckled. "Just calm down, sister. Take a deep breath. You will not see him but three hours each day for a month, and then he will return home. You will have a chaperone with you. Everything will be fine, just like you said."

"But I-"

"Well, you will have to be fine with it now," Amelia nodded as she peered out of the window. "Because they are here."

Again, Hermione Granger's fairy tale was not going to be an easy one. And it started when Prince Draco and Queen Narcissa stepped foot on Gryffindor soil, Draco with a deep scowl on his face and Narcissa... well, deeply excited.

"Smile. No, really, _smile_. You are such a beautiful young woman and that is how you want them to see you, but a scowl makes you much less pleasant." Amelia walked hurriedly behind Hermione as they made their way to the castle doors where they could hear their mother and three other people talking.

"-pleased to have you here." They heard Queen Monica say. She looked back as her daughters began to descend the stairs. "Oh, and here they are now. Narcissa, Draco, Mr. Snape, this is Princess Hermione and Princess Amelia, my daughters."

"Pleased to meet you!" The older, blonde woman, who Hermione gathered to be her future mother-in-law, bounded across the floor and engulfed her in an enormous- and uncomfortable- hug. She did the same with Amelia. Over Narcissa's shoulder, Hermione could see the man introduced as 'Mr. Snape' make his way out of the room, trying to be unnoticed. "My, you are beautiful young women. I am Queen Narcissa of Slytherin, and this is my son, Prince Draco."

Now, Draco Malfoy had always fancied himself a good actor. Hell, he had needed to be to entertain the many, many young women that found themselves in his bed at night. He could look you straight in the eye and tell you that he was secretly a dragon in disguise, and he could make you believe him. But he was finding it very hard to act pleasant around his future bride.

"Pleasure..." Prince Draco stepped forward and shook hands with Princess Amelia, while he bent down and pressed a kiss to the back of Hermione's hand and stared at her. "...Princess."

Hermione made a small, squeaking sound as the prince kissed her hand. He did not seem like too much of a prick... at first sight, at least. He was actually quite handsome, but Hermione would never admit that to him or anyone else who asked. While idle chatter was exchanged between the two queens for another moment or so, Prince Draco looked around the room and the two sisters exchanged several pointed looks at each other, as if to say _'wow, this is surprising'_.

"Oh, and here is my husband! You are late, sweetheart." Queen Monica put her hands on her hips as King Wendell made his way to her side.

"My apologies, Monny. There was business that needed attending to in the war room." He wrapped an arm around her lower back and pulled her close to him as he stuck his hand out toward the Slythetin guests. "Narcissa, Draco, it is very nice to meet you both in person."

"Likewise." Narcissa smiled and let King Wendell kiss her hand. "You have a very beautiful kingdom, if I may say so."

"Pleased to meet you, sir." Prince Draco replied. Hermione noticed that her father was much less gentle when shaking Prince Draco's hand, as the boy winced when King Wendell smiled.

"Hermione, why do not you and Draco go for a walk around the gardens? Arthur will accompany you, of course." King Wendell said.

Amelia elbowed Hermione in the side. "Hermione would _love_ to, father."

"Great."

The gardens of Gryffindor were much loved among the people. While there were sections delegated only to the royal family, most of it was availed for any witch or wizard to use or walk through. There were petunias, lilies, roses and nearly every flower one could imagine. Numerous trees kept the area shaded and cool, and during the night, the moonlight shone just perfectly through the thick trees and created a comfortable atmosphere. The Granger children spent many years in the gardens and felt as though it were a second home. But Hermione would have given anything to not be in those gardens with Draco Malfoy.

"So..." Hermione said awkwardly as they walked, Arthur Weasley right behind them. "How are you?"

"I am fine." Draco answered curtly.

When he did not make any move to speak again, Hermione did. "I am fine, _thank you for asking_." She said sarcastically.

"I did not ask," Draco stopped and turned toward Hermione, a slight scowl about his face. "Because I do not care. Not for you, not for your blood-traitor family, not for this marriage. When we are in private, I will not pretend as though I like you when I do not."

"You do not know me." Hermione said angrily at him.

"I know you are a mudblood, and that is enough." Draco shrugged.

Hermione blanched and stopped walking, her mouth popping open with disgust. When Draco noticed this, he stopped and rolled his eyes.

"Keep up, girl. I will not wait-"

"You terrible, _terrible_ prick." Hermione chuckled sarcastically, her tone laced with distaste. "I should have known- after all, you are a Slytherin. It is blood purity you want, but now, you must settle for a muggleborn like me-"

"That is precisely the situation. I'm so glad you figured that out-"

"I was not finished." Hermione said firmly. "You have no right to think less of me because I am not of purely magical blood. You must not even know what purebloods do to maintain that _purity_. Tell me, Draco, which members of your family are inbred? Are you?"

"Do not talk about my family, mudblood!" Draco was getting angry with this foolish girl, now. He had to remind himself not to completely lose his temper, as doing so would ruin any and all alliances between Slytherin and Gryffindor.

"Oh, but you may speak of mine?" She bit back. "I do not like you either, Malfoy! I may have fallen for your act when you first arrived, but not a second time. I can already tell that you are a loathsome, evil little cockroach and will remain so until a bloody miracle happens to you, but I will not stand here and listen to you insult me!"

"Let us get a few things straight, Granger." Draco stepped forward until they were almost touching, his hot breath beating down on Hermione's face. "You are a woman. I am a man. You will be my wife. If you think, for even a moment, that you will get away with any sort of attitude towards me, you are sadly mistaken. The only reason you are not lying on the floor with a bruise across your face right now is because you are not yet mine. You can trust that I will not be lenient when the time comes, and I will thoroughly enjoy putting you in your place."

"Alright, now, let us get a few more things straight." Hermione straightened herself and stared right back at Draco. "One, I am not afraid of you. Your threats mean nothing. Two, I will do as I please because I will not let you rule me, damned what you say. I am not your little play thing for you to do with as you please with. And three, you would not dare to touch me."

"And why is that, mudblood?"

"You would not suffer a blow to your pride like the one I would make you feel." Hermione smirked, daring the Slytherin to find a way around her words. "I am a much better fighter than you, Draco. I know that Slytherin does not train its royalty in combat, so if it comes to an altercation, you will lose, and if not, be severely beaten. When people ask, you will have to tell them that a woman- your five foot six, _mudblood_ wife- struck you, and you will be the laughing stock amongst your men. So, you know what, I dare you. Hit me. Hex me. But know that I will come back at you twice as hard and your ego with suffer for it. I fight fair, but I fight to win."

"I will kill you for it, and no one will question me." Draco seethed. "You think you are special, do you not, because you were lucky enough to be taken in by a royal family? You are _nothing_, Granger! You may be liked here, but in my kingdom, my people will call me a saint when I have you executed in the gallows!"

"And when Gryffindor hears that you were too foolish and ignorant to ascend the throne, I will be welcomed back with open arms!"

With that, they turned their separate ways and stomped off, steam practically shooting out of their ears in anger. That was when Arthur Weasley, their chaperone who was too shocked to come to anyone's defense, knew for certain that Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy were going to tear each other apart.

Draco stomped off until he found a lone trail where he could be alone, kicking the rocks and piles of dirt that fell in his way. He marched around for a while and tried to calm himself down, but found it useless and tiring.

Damn that mudblood! How dare she threaten him; how dare she threaten a man, a pure blood, a born-royal! She was nothing, did she not realize that? What Draco would have done in that instance to take control and put that witch in her place... the time would come soon enough, though.

Draco sat down on a rock and sighed, covering his face with his hands and groaning into them. He really missed the company of Astoria right then.

Astoria Greengrass was the daughter of a very, very successful merchant in Slytherin. She was of sixteen summers- two less than Draco, had long brown hair that reached her mid-back, piercing blue eyes, and a gorgeous figure that sent tingles down Draco's spine. She hadn't been his friend for long, maybe one summer, but she had been one of his lovers for quite sometime. The girl was incredibly clever when it came to getting what she wanted, but she was a few ingredients short of a potion when it came to everything else.

No, Draco did not love her in any stretch of the word, but she was who he preferred to warm his bed at night. It was too bad that, after "agreeing" to marry the Gryffindor princess, he had to burn every bridge with Astoria. He still remembered, freshly burnt into his mind, how _well_ she took it.

_"Oh, Draco," Astoria sighed, panting to catch her breath as she laid beside Draco in his bed. "That was marvelous."_

_"Yeah," Draco nodded, dreading what he would have to do shortly. He sat up and slid his trousers back on, walking across the room and picking up the girl's corset dress. "Here, I will help you dress."_

_"Must I leave so soon?" Astoria smiled and sat up, dropping the blanket from her shoulders to reveal herself to her lover. "Come back to bed, Draco, and I will make it worth your while."_

_"Astoria, we must speak about something... delicate. Please, dress." Draco replied._

_Astoria gave him an odd look and rolled her eyes, but got of the bed and put on her underwear nonetheless. She let Draco slip her dress down her shoulders and begin to lace it back up, her hair falling gently over her shoulders, the smell of her soap making its way into Draco's nose._

_He sighed. "Astoria... I am afraid this is our last time together."_

_She laughed but did not turn. "Why, whatever do you mean, my prince?"_

_"I mean... I am to be married soon and this cannot continue."_

_Just as Draco tied a knot at the very top of her corset, Astoria turned around and jabbed a finger in his chest, her hair splaying wildly around her face. "What do you mean, _married_?!"_

_"I-"_

_"Is it that strumpet, Pansy Parkinson?!" Astoria screeched. "It's her, isn't it?! Oh, she _always_ thought she was better than me because of her father's standing in the royal court, but now that I have finally gotten my chance with you, she wants to ruin everything! I'll beat her within an inch of-"_

_"Astoria! You will not speak ill of one of my best friends in my presence, do you understand me?" Draco grabbed her shoulders angrily. She nodded and he let go. "Merlin, I am not to be wed to Pansy! She does not even wish to be married!"_

_"Oh." Astoria said, then nodded. "Sorry. Who is it, then?"_

_"A muggleborn Princess from Gryffindor." He said, his nose wrinkled in disgust. "I do not even wish to marry her, or be with her in the slightest way."_

_To Draco's surprise, Astoria let out a loud, pitiful chuckle. "Oh, Draco, my silly prince! Of course we can still be together if that is all it is!"_

_He blanched. "Wait... what?"_

_"Do not you know a thing about royal marriages, darling?" She smiled. "Princes and kings have had mistresses in the past, my sweet. We can keep doing what we are doing," Astoria accentuated each of her words by moving closer and tapping her fingers up Draco's chest. "And when the muggleborn has given you a son, she could meet with a... tragic end. Then, you could marry me and I will give you as many children as you would like. It is almost a perfect situation. A widowed, grief-stricken prince in need of a mother to his children."_

_And Draco did not know why, but he felt a sudden, strange surge of anger cross through him and he shoved Astoria away from him. "You are speaking of murdering my wife! Do you not realize the amount of treason that is?!"_

_"Treason? A prince cannot be accused of treason in his own land. I never said anything about you making sure she meets her end; I will take care of everything, darling." When Astoria attempted to snuggle her way close to the prince but was pushed away, she adopted a scowl upon her face and clenched her fists. "And since when did you think of this mudblood as your wife, when you have yet to lay eyes upon her? Why so protective over a princess you so despise?!"_

_"I..." Draco started, unable to defend his choice of words. "That matters not! Do you honestly think I would condone you murdering the future mother of my children because you wish to be my wife? She may not mean anything to me, but she will mean something to our children, Astoria! You wish for me to take away my children's mother because you wish to take her place?!"_

_"People do ridiculous things for love, Draco."_

_"I do not love you! You haven't the slightest idea of what love is!" He finally yelled, making her mouth pop open in shock. "I have never once spoken those words to you! I never promised you a marriage proposal, I never agreed to go along with your schemes, and I absolutely will not kill my future wife for you, even if she was a muggle!"_

_"You were using me, then?!" Astoria screeched. "Was I just some sexual toy for you to use and... and to discard when you were finished with me?! Did you just need someone to fill your bed while your father found you a wife?!"_

_"Do not play stupid! You knew what this was, from the very beginning!"_

_"You took my purity from me and said you would give me what I wanted!"_

_"Your purity!" Draco scoffed. "I know of at least two other young men you have serviced, Astoria! Do not act as if I was your first!"_

_Astoria gasped and began gathering her things in her hands and throwing a few pillows and odd objects at Draco, snarling at him. "Which one of us in this room is the whore, Draco?! Because I seem to remember your little black book being a novel compared to mine! Merlin, a club could form made up solely of women who have found themselves on their backs before you!"_

_"You will not speak to me like-"_

_Astoria came across the room and slapped Draco hard and fast across his face, leaving the prince absolutely shocked by her actions. Astoria brushed the hair out of her face and shoved her finger in his chest. "You will regret the day you first touched me, Draco Malfoy. Some way or another," Astoria leaned in and almost growled at her now ex-lover. "I will get what I want." Astoria slammed Draco's door and slipped out of Slytherin Castle several vases exploding after she had walked past._

Draco would not see Astoria Greengrass again for quite some time, and he would think of her and her last words to him often. Astoria was the type of woman who went to any lengths to attain what she desired, and Draco wondered just how he missed the ever-present twinge of madness in her eyes; there was no such thing as 'too far' in her mind, nor did she have any real sense of morality. Draco would later find this out in the worst way when Astoria crossed every line imaginable.

While Draco sat on a trail just outside of the Gryffindor gardens, Hermione ran until she reached the outer boundaries of Gryffindor. There, amidst a lush green forest and thick vegetation, stood a large oak tree with several carvings around the trunk. A small blue house had been magically placed around the top of the tree and Hermione remembered playing with her best friend in that house. She climbed up the ladder that stood on the back of the tree and sat in the corner of the almost-too-small house, ripping her hair out of its place atop her head as she sobbed lightly. She was soon joined by the very man she played in the house with when she was younger.

Harry sat beside her and elbowed her lightly in her side. "Hey."

Hermione sniffed and looked at her best friend. "Hey."

"It has been a while since I have been up here." Harry said, looking at the faded pink color of the walls. "I think I barely fit through the door."

Hermione leaned against Harry and held his hand in her own, her tears streaming down his shirt. "How did you know I was here?"

"I saw you run past from the kitchen windows. I knew this was where you would be; you come here when you are saddened by something and you told me the Slytherins were coming today, so I thought you might need a friend." He replied. "I am sorry I cannot save you from this, 'Mione. I did not see what he did to you, but I heard what he said, and I will do whatever I can to protect you."

"You save me too much, Harry."

"Pfft! I save you much less than you do me." Harry laughed. "Had it not been for your brains, I would have perished many times during my childhood. Hell, I would haven fallen out of this tree seven times if you had not been there."

"You know what I mean." Hermione looked pointedly at him.

Harry sighed. "I do. And I let you do whatever you need to do to get through some things, but sometimes, you just need a friend to be there to help. I have a lot to make up for."

"Harry, do not start-"

"No. I was gone for so long for my own selfish reasons. It matters not that he killed my father; I should have been here for you." Harry sighed, hugging his best friend tightly. "Your brother was deathly ill and your sister had gone to Hufflepuff to visit her fiancé... you were practically alone and I was not here to be with you."

Harry Potter was a young man of eighteen summers and was the best friend of the youngest Gryffindor princess, having been born a year before Hermione. He had unruly black hair, green eyes and a crooked smile that Hermione insisted made him unique; he was a short fellow, standing only an inch taller than Hermione. He wore thin, circle glasses and had a deep, lightning bolt-shaped scar above his left eye that had been carved with an enchanted blade, something his mother shared with him. He elected to work in the kitchens of Gryffindor castle to cook to support he and his mother, though he had earned and refused a place in the castle for his services to Hogwarts. Hermione only knew him as her best friend, but the rest of Hogwarts and beyond knew of him as _the boy who killed Fenir Greyback_.

Harry Potter was the only child of James and Lily Potter, two prominent members of the Order of the Phoenix. The OoP was a group that dedicated itself to protecting innocents from the misuse of dark magic, as well as fighting those that called themselves 'death eaters' (servants to someone who called himself 'the dark lord', but no one knew who or where this person was. The dark lord was rumored to be an escaped convict named Tom Riddle, but no one knew for sure) Fenir Greyback, one of the most dangerous death eaters, and received a list from his master that held the names of every male member of the OoP (and all those who stand in the way), as well as instructions to kill and deal with families.

A prophecy had been made when Harry was eight that said a boy of the order would put an end to he who calls himself 'the dark lord', so the actual dark lord had every adult male killed. Fenir Greyback arrived at the Potter home with instructions to kill James and scar his wife and son, and succeeded with both tasks. James fought long and hard against Fenir and managed to tear a chunk of flesh out of his face, but Fenir was too strong; little Harry watched his father die in front of him as he and his mother were forever scarred by James's murderer.

When Harry had seen his fourteenth summer, Fenir Greyback resurfaced after trying to find those of the OoP who had been in hiding, which included Remus Lupin and Sirius Black, Harry's godfathers. Harry, deciding to end the madness and murders of hundreds of people, left Gryffindor for nearly a year and a half, traveled to Slytherin, spent months tracking down Fenir Greyback and killed him in front of Slytherin castle (and, in addition, delivered Fenir's head to King Lucius and Queen Narcissa, because he was in their kingdom). The remaining members of the order, about a forth of those originally there, came out of hiding and praised Harry for saving them and avenging the fallen's death.

Of the many gifts he was offered, Harry accepted enough food and water to get him back home, a small amount of galleons, and a teddy bear given to him by a dead OoP member's daughter. He came back to Gryffindor, accepted a job as a cook in the kitchens, and put the whole _savior of many _thing behind him. The prophecy still bothered him sometimes, though, because he had always been told that it had yet to be fulfilled.

"Stop that," Hermione admonished him. "I do not blame you for leaving. You did what needed doing and saved so many people, including your godfathers. So enough of that."

"Alright, fine. Even though you say I do not, I do feel like I need to make it up to you somehow." Harry squeezed her hand in his. "What would you think of me going to Slytherin with you?"

"W-What...?" Hermione blanched.

"Well, it seems as though Slytherin has not forgotten me and offered me a job with living expenses included. Something about having a hero living in their kingdom being good for their standing." Harry said. "It is a teaching job. They fancy me a good fighter and want me to tutor the younger children in self defense, as well as some of the adults. There was even talk of the prince having a session with me."

"Harry... are you being serious?" Hermione grabbed onto Harry's shirt tightly.

"I still have to meet with the queen while she is here and I have yet to convince my mother, but yes, I probably-"

Hermione hugged Harry as tightly as she could and knocked the wind- and his words- right out of him. Harry laughed and patted his best friend on the back, happy that he could make things better for her. He suspected that her handmaiden, Luna Lovegood, would be accompanying her to Slytherin, but this way, she would have two friends with her. The only thing Harry regretted about leaving Gryffindor was leaving the Weasley family, of whom he had become close to. Ron was friends with both he and Hermione, but he had had the biggest crush on Ginerva Weasley for years, now. She was the same age as Hermione and _dear Merlin_, was she beautiful.

Harry was never sure if Ginerva knew of his feelings, but he always suspected that she did. She knew so much, of course. After all, a girl is only as dangerous as she is intelligent, and Ginerva Weasley had enough brains for the both of them.

* * *

**_Two days later, in the territory of Azkaban, far away from the country of Hogwarts..._**

A bright green howler flew through an old, run-down castle on the outskirts of Azkaban, dodging the men and women in cloak on its way to the top floor. It weaved through several rooms and flew out of a nearby window and cut directly across to the top floor, where a man covered from head to toe in black fabric caught it deftly in one hand. Enchanted, flying howlers were often difficult to control, so it was obvious who had sent it. The man opened the seal and the howler sprung to life, the voice of Severus Snape filling the air.

_"Draco Malfoy has gone to Gryffindor to court the muggleborn, my lord. I am following closely and Queen Narcissa suspects nothing of my true intentions. Prince Draco and Princess Hermione hate each other dearly, so it will be easy to break their bond if you so choose. I will continue to keep an eye on the Malfoys and will report back when I have news of their wedding." _The howler then ripped to shreds and fell into the man's hand.

"Bellatrix!" The man shouted, the howler still in his hand.

"You called for me, my lord?" Bellatrix, a middle-aged, evil woman with frizzy black hair came into the room and bowed.

"Call for Astoria Greengrass." He smiled evilly. "It seems I may have use of her after all."

"Yes, my lord."

The man threw the shreds of the howler away from him and turned towards the window, lowering the cloak from his head to reveal gray, snake-like features and piercing gray eyes. Lord Voldemort smiled.

"Hogwarts shall be mine." He whispered to no one but himself. "Finally, I will have my revenge. I will rule them all."

A loud, evil laugh resounded throughout Azkaban and rang in the ears of all who heard it.

* * *

**Thoughts?_ -Nikki a.k.a.- Twipotterfreak28_**


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